Mail-bag catching and delivering mechanism.



R. J. MEYER. MAIL BAG CATGHING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM.

Patented June 24, I902.

A lication filed Mar. 25, 1902.

2 Sheets-Sheet I.-

(No Model.)

.J Maya A" No. 703,074. Patented June 24, I902.

R. J. MEYER.

MAIL BAG OATCHING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM.

(Application filed Mar. 25, 1902.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Hfl asses I f 1 an Tm. 9 z 1% ay 9 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

RALPH J. MEYER, OF MITCHELL, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LILLIANS. DODDRIDGE, JOHN S. DODDRIDGE, AND JOHN B. DOWD, REDCLlFF, COLORADO.

MAIL-BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 703,074, dated June 24,1902.

Application filed March 25,1902. 'Serial lid-99 920. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern: responding partsin all the figures of thedraw- Be it known that I, RALPH J. MEYER, a citiings.

zen of the United States, residing at Mitchell, 1 designates a verticalstandard of a trackin the county of Eagle and State of Colorado, cranemounted on a suitable base and sup- 5 have invented a new and usefulMail -Bag ported by suitable inclined braces 2 and sup-OatchingandDeliveringMechanism,ofwhich porting a platform 3, arrangedbetween its the following is a specification. ends ata suitableelevation. The track-crane The invention relates to improvements in isprovided with steps 4, leading to the platmail-bag catching anddelivering mechanism. form, and the upper portion of the standard 10 Theobject of the present invention is to forms a guide foravertically-adjustable pivimprove the construction of mail-cranes andotally-rnounted lower sack-supporting arm 5, to provide a simple andcomparatively ineX- and the upper end of the standard is propensive mailbag catching and delivering vided with a pair of upwardly-extendingpermechanism adapted to enable mail bags or forated ears 6, receiving apivot 7, on which 15 sacks to be conveniently exchanged between ismounted an upper sack-supporting arm 8,

a train and a station without necessitating consisting, preferably, of aweighted lever a person on the train exposing any portion of and havinga rearwardly-extending weighted his body in effecting the exchange. armor portion 9, which, after an exchange A further object of the inventionis toproof mail bags or sacks has been made, is 20 vide a simple andefficient track-crane in adapted to swing the upper sack-supportingwhich the supporting-arms will be adjustable arm upward out of theway'to the position to receive bags or sacks of different lengths shownin Fig. 2 of the drawings. The upand in which the said arms willautomaticwardly-extending ears 6 are set at a slightinally drop or swingback out of the way after clination, and the rearedge of the upper end 25 an exchange has been made. of the standard is beveled or cut away at10 Furthermore, it is the object of the invento permit theweighted leverto assume an y tion to provide a car-crane mounted wholly inclinedposition, and when the same is in a within a car and adapted to bechanged from horizontal position the upper supporting-arm one side tothe other to avoid turning the car or front portion of the weightedlever rests 30 and capable of being readily manipulated to upon theupper end of. the standard, and it is extend itfrom the car and toreturnit within held in such position by the sack or bag,-as the same.hereinafter explained, so that as soon as the The invent-ion consists inthe construction bag is removed the upper supporting-arm and novelcombination and arrangement of will be automatically swung upward orback- 3 5 parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated ward out ofthe way.

in the accompanying drawings, and pointed The outer end of the uppersack-supportout in the claims hereto appended. ing arm is provided withoutwardly-extend- In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective ing upperand lower longitudinal ears 11, arview of a mail-sack catching anddelivering ranged horizontally when the supporting-arm 4o mechanismconstructed in accordance with is horizontal and preferably formed byplates this invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of a secured to the upperand lower faces of the portion of the track-crane, showing the upouterend of the arm, as clearly shown in per and lower supporting-arms swungback Fig. 1 of the drawings. Mounted between out of the way. Fig. 3 is aperspective'view these cars is a pivoted finger 12, arranged to 45 ofthe car-crane. Fig. 4is a detail sectional swing laterally in eitherdirection to permit view of the upper portion of the same. Fig. a mailsack or bag to be carried off of it by a 5 5 is a detail view of theouter end of the uptrain travelingin eitherdirection and adapted persack-supporting arm of the car-crane. to be held longitudinally of thesupporting- Like numerals of reference designate corarm by a spring 13,secured to the upper hold the same until removed.

plate of the supporting-arm and having a free outer portion arranged toengage the pivoted finger. The outer end of the spring is provided witha central notch and is rounded at each side of the same to providebeveled edges to enable the finger to be readily swung laterally intoand out of engagement with the spring.

The lower supporting-arm 5 is provided at opposite sides of its innerend with perforated ears 1%, having attachment plates or shanks andoffset from the side faces of the supporting-arm 5 to receive the endsor ears 15 of a sliding sleeve or yoke 16, arranged on the upper portionof the standard and adapted to belocated at different elevations, ashereinafter explained. The sleeve 0r yoke is approximately U-shaped,being composed of two sides and a transverse connecting end portion, theterminals of the sides forming the said cars 15 and receiving the innerend of the supporting-arm 5, which is secured to the sleeve or yoke by apintle 17. The pintle 17 passes through the perforated ears, the jointbeing reinforced by the said ears 14. The inner end 18 of the lowersupporting arm is curved to form a cam, which is located between thepivot and the standard when the lower arm is in a horizontal positionand which is adapted to bind against the said standard, whereby the armis firmly held in its adjusted position. When the arm 5 swings downwardor backward, the cam is carried out of engagement with the standard, andthe sleeve and the arm will slide downward on the same. The arm 5 isprovided at its outer end with cars 19, similar to those of the uppersupporting arm and receiving a pivoted finger 20, which is engaged by aspring 21, arranged beneath the ears and constructed the same as thefinger-engaging spring heretofore described. The plates 23 and 24, whichconnect the ears with the lower supportingarm 5, also support a pair ofoppositely-disposed sack-engaging forks 25, extending laterally from thesaid arm and secured between the plates, which are extended and recessedat their inner faces to receive the forks. Each fork consists of a rigidcurved side 26 and a resilient side or spring 27, the curved sides 26being preferably formed by a continuous bar or piece extending betweenthe plates 23 and 24:, and the springs or resilient sides 27 preferablyconsist of a single continuous piece of resilient material. The springs,which are slightly curved, as shown, diverge from the rigid sides andare provided at their inner ends beyond the contiguous portions of thefork with a bend 28, forming a clamping loop and adapted'to receive andhold a mailbag. A mail-bag coming in contact with the fork will becarried into the clamping-loop, the spring or resilient side beingadapted to be forced outward to permit this operation. The arm 5 inswinging downward or backward will carry with it the bag or sack and Thetrackcrane is adapted to receive a mail bag or sack 29 of the ordinaryconstruction, provided at the top and bottom with rings 30 for engagingthe fingers, and when such mail-bag is engaged by the mail-crane of acar the fingers will be swung laterally out of engagement with thesprings and will permit the bag to slide off of them.

The bag or sack of the track-crane is engaged by a fork 31 of acar-crane 32, comprising a Vertical bar or standard 33 and upper andlower sack-supporting arms 3 and 35, and the said crane is provided atthe top and bottom with lugs or cars 36 and 37, arranged substantiallyat right angles to the sack-supporting arms and detachably mounted onpintles 38 of brackets 39. The brackets 39, which are designed to belocated in pairs at opposite sides of the door of a mail-car, areprovided with suitable arms, at the outer ends of which are arranged thesaid pintles 38, perforated for the reception of suitable keys 40, bymeans of which the crane 32 is detachably mounted on the brackets andwhich permit the cranes of a car to be readily reversed and changed fromone side of the car to the other to arrange them properly withoutturning the car end for end. Each car will be provided with a right-handcrane and with a left-hand crane, such cranes being located at the rearside of the door-openings in order to present the fork to the front, andwhen a mail-car has reached its destination the cranes may be changed topermit the mail-car to return to the other end of the loop withoutturning it end for end.

The upper lug or ear is preferably formed integral with the uppersupporting-arm, as shown, and the lower ear or lug is formed integralwith the vertical bar or standard. The upper arm 34 is rigid with thebar or standard, and the lower arm is slidably mounted on the latter toenable it to be adjusted vertically to accommodate mail bags or sacks ofdifferent lengths. The outer ends of the sack-supporting arms 34 and 35are bifurcated to receive pivoted fingers 39 and 40,

which are engaged by upper and lower springs- 41 and 42, constructed thesame as the sackreceiving fingers and springs heretofore described. Theinner end of the lower arm 35 is provided with a rectangular opening toreceive the vertical bar or standard, which is squared; but any othernon-circular shape may be provided for these parts.

The fork 31, which is adapted to swing upward and downward to arrange itin horizontal position for operation and to lower it to an approximatelyvertical position to permit it to pass through the car-door opening, iscomposed of a rigid side 44 and a resilient side or spring 45, having abag-receiving loop or bend 46, which forms a clamp and which is adaptedto receive the central portion of a bag or sack similar to the forksheretofore described. The fork 31 is provided at its inner end with acurved edge 47 and is perforated IIO adjacent to the same for thereception of a pivot 4C8, which passes through the fork and throughperforated ears 49, extending outward from the upper supporting-arm,adjacent to the outer end thereof. The upper supporting-arm is alsoprovided with ears or bearings for the reception of a rock-shaft 51,having a crank-arm 52 at its outer end and provided at its inner endwith a suitable handle 53. The L-shaped arm or crank 52 at the outer endof the rock-shaft extends intoa perforation 54. of the fork 3l,and therock-shaft is adapted to be partially rotated to swing the fork upwardfrom an approximately vertical positiontoahorizontalposition,andthehandle 53 at the inner end of the rock-shaftis adapted to operate as a handle or grip for swinging the crane inwardand outward and for raising and lowering the fork 31. The crane isadapted to lie normally against the side of a car, and it is swunghorizontally with the fork in its lowered position when it is desired toarrange the crane for catching the mail bag or sack while the car is inmotion. By swinging the crane horizontally it is extended through thedoor-opening, carrying with it the bag or sack to be delivered to thestation in exchange for the one collected, and after the car-frame hasbeen extended through the doorway the fork is swung upward and is heldrigidly in a horizontal position by means of the rock-shaft. XVhen thefork 31 is swung upward, its cam edge 47 is carried into contact withthe upper supporting-arm of the crane to form a stop for limiting theupward movement of the said fork. After the mail bag or sack is lodgedin the clamping loop or bend of the resilient side or spring of the fork31 the latter is swung downward and the car-crane is swung horizontallyto return it to its former position with the car. This operation may beeffected without necessitating the operator exposing any portion of hisbody.

In order to reduce the shock or jar to a minimum to avoid injuring thecar-crane when the fork comes in contact with a sack or bag, suitablecushions 55 are provided, and acushion 56 is preferably mounted on thestandard of the track-crane to receive the lower pivoted supporting-armwhen the latter swings downward. These cushions may consist of blocks ofrubber or they may be constructed in any other suitable manner.

It will be seen that the mail-sack catching and delivering mechanism isadapted to enable a mail-sack to be collected by a train in motion andthat it will permit a train to si multaneously deliver a sack or bag atthe station or other point. It will also be clear that thesack-supporting arms of the track-crane are adapted to swing backwardautomatically to arrange them out of the way as soon as the sack isremoved and that the car-crane is adapted to be manipulated entirelyfrom the interior of a car without necessitating the op-' eratorexposing any portion of his body during the entire operation.

That I claim is- 1. In a mail-sack catching and delivering mechanism,the combination with a support, of a pair of oppositely-disposedsack-engaging forks consisting of a rigid bar centrally secured to thesupport and projecting from opposite sides thereof to form a rigid sidefor each fork, and a single continuous piece of resilient materialcentrally fixed to the support and projecting from opposite sidesthereof to form a resilient side for each fork, said resilient materialbeing provided with sackreceiving loops or bends arranged adjacent tothe support and adapted to clamp a sack, substantially as described.

2. In a mail-sack catching and delivering mechanism, the combination ofa standard, an upper pivotally-mounted sack-supporting arm provided withmeans for engaging a sack or bag, a lower pivoted sack-supporting armprovided with plates extending from its outer end, means arranged at theouter ends of the plates for engaging a sack or bag, and theoppositely-disposed sack-engaging forks comprising a.continuous barsecured between the said plates and extending from opposite sidesthereof, and a continuous spring also secured between the plates andprojecting from opposite sides of the same, substantially as described.

3. In a mail-sack catching and delivering mechanism, the combination ofa hinged carcrane arranged to swing horizontally and designed to bemounted on the interior of a car and provided with means for engaging asack, a pivoted fork mounted on the crane and arranged to swing upwardand downward, and operating mechanism connected with the fork andadapted also for swinging the crane inward and outward, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a mail-sack catching and delivering mechanism, the combination ofa hinged carcrane designed to be mounted on the interior of a car andarranged to swing horizontally and provided with means for supporting asack, bag or sack engaging means pivotally mounted on the crane andarranged to swing upward and downward, a rock-shaft connected with thesaid means and adapted to swing the same upward and downward, saidrockshaft being also adapted for swinging the crane, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a mail-sack catching and delivering mechanism, the combination ofa car-crane designed to be hinged at the interior of a car and providedwith means for holding a sack, a sack-engaging fork movably mounted onthe crane, a rock-shaft mounted on the crane and connected with thefork, and a handle arranged at the inner end of the rock-shaft andadapted for operating both the fork and the crane, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a mail-sack catching and delivering mechanism, the combination ofa car-crane designed to be hinged to a car at the interior thereof,asack-engagin g fork pivotally mounted on the crane at the top thereofand provided with means for engaging the same to or standard, an upperrigid sack-supporting x 5 limit its upward swing, and a rock-shaft arm,and a lower sack-supporting arm admounted on the crane and provided atits outer justably mounted on the bar or standard, a

, end with an arm connected With the fork, said fork pivotally mountedon the upper support- 5 rock-shaft being also provided at its innering-arm,and operating mechanism connected end with a handle adapted tobe operated to with the fork and adapted to oscillate the 20 manipulatethe fork and to oscillate the crane, crane, substantially as described.substantially as described. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as7. In a mail-sack catching and delivering my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in IO mechanism, the combination of brackets de thepresence of two Witnesses.

signed to be secured Within a car, a reversi- RALPH J. MEYER. ble craneprovided at the top and bottom with Witnesses: lugs detachably mountedon the brackets, W. J. DILLON,

said crane being composed of a vertical bar J. H. J OCHUM, Jr.

